Automatic train-stopping device



Dec. 0, 4- 1,520,798

' J.F. BEESELMAN AUTOMATIC TRAIN STOPPING DEVICE Filed Nov. 30, 9 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 J2? fieea'almarglw Filed Nov. 30 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 llllJlllll .Fllilll eea'eifizaiggwm J. F. BEESELMAN AUTOMATIC TRAIN STOPPING DEVICE Filed Nov.- 50 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 if a I k VA Fatented Dec. 38, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE.

JOHN F. BEESELMAN, OF EAST CHICAGO, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T O ELIE G. RASHETA, OF EAST CHICAGO, INDIANA.

AUTO'MATIC TRAIN-STOPPING DEVICE.

Application filed. November 30, 1923. Serial No. 677,778.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that 1, JOHN F. BEESELMAN,

a citizen of the United States, residing at East Chicago, in the county of Lake and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Automatic Train-Stopping Device,

of which the following is a specification.

This invent-ion relates to means designed for use in connection with locomotives for automatically applying the service or emergency brakes thereof in the event that the engineer fails to observe a block signal indicating that the block into which the locomotive is passing is closed.

An important object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which will be set by the movement of a semaphore, simultaneously with the movement of the semaphore to its active or indicating position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device which may be attached to a locomotive to be engaged by the tripping means set by the semaphore, the device being constructed to be held out of operation should it be desired to operate the locomotive as a switching engine or the like.

\Vith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, maybe made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatical view disclosing the controlling valves, and means for actuating the valves.

Figure 2 is an elevational view partly in section taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view disclosing the service or emergency brake control and means for adjusting the valve, forming a part thereof.

Figure 4 is a sectional View taken on line 44 of Figure 2. 1

Referring to the drawings in detail, the reference character 5 designates a trip mechanism which embodies plates 6 and a plurality of guideways supported by the plates, the guideways 7 being vertically disposed and arranged in parallelrelation with each other at the base of a railway track.

Rack bars 8 are also arranged in parallelism and move in the guideways 7, the upper ends of the rack bars having connection with the shoe 9 of the trip mechanism. The rack bars 8 supportthe shoe 9 ad- ",lacent to one of the edges thereof, while the opposite side of the shoe is supported by will operate bar 14 to move the segmental gear 13, and shaft 11, transmitting movement to the rack bars 8 to elevate the shoe 9.

The mechanism cooperating with the trip and which is carried by the locomotive includes a tubular supporting member 15, that is secured to the under side of the beam 16 forming a part of the locomotive constructlon.

Operating through the support 15 is a plunger 17 which has its lower end bifurcated at 18 providing bearings for the roller 19 that, in operation, is designed tomove over the upper curved surface of the shoe 9. Formed in the plunger 17 is a threaded bore designed to receive the threaded extension 20 of the rod 21, there being provided a nut 22 operating on the threaded portion 20 of the rod and adapted to en gage the upper end of the plunger 17, whereby the length of' the rod 21 may be adjusted to move the piston 23, carried at the upper end of the-rod within its cylinder, adjusting the'piston with respect to the tension of the coiled spring 24 mounted between the piston and head of the cylinder.

Carried by the plunger 17 and extending laterally therefrom, is an arm 25, which arm contacts with the pin 26 of the valve member 27 operating in the casing 28, to control the movement of the valve member 27 and allow air to pass through the valve and through the pipe system to be hereinafter more fully described. 7

The reference character 29 indicates a latch member that lies in the path of travel of the arm 25, to engage the arm 25 and hold the arm in its active position, after it has been moved to operate the valve member 27.

As shown, the valve member 27 is of a novel construction and is formed with openings 30 extending therethrough, whereby when the valve 27 is moved to a position as shown by Figure 1 of the drawings, air may pass through the openings and through the outlet opening of the casing 28. A coiled spring 31 is disposed within the casing 28 and arranged above the valve member 27 to force the valve member 27 to the lower end of the casing, and cut off the passage of air from the casing, when the arm 25 has been released by the latch member 29, which it might be stated, is manually controlled by means of the flexible operating member 32.

Air is supplied to the upper end of the casing 28 through .the pipes 33, 34 and 35, the latterbeing shown as having connection with the valve casing 28, while the former is shown as communicating with the air tank 36, which is supplied with air, in any suitable and well known manner. A valve 37 controls the passage of air from the tank '36 to the valve casing 28, so that the system may be thrown out of operation at the will of the operator.

The pipe 38 is shown as communicating with the lower portion of the casing 28 and is threaded into the outlet opening of the casing 28, as clearly illustrated by Figure 1 of the drawings. This pipe 38 extends upwardly and communicates with pipe 39, which in turn communicates with the pipe 40 which is in communication with the cylinder 41 in which operates a iston not shown, the piston being connecte with the rod 42 that is designed to engage the throttle lever 43 of the usual controlling system of a locomotive, for moving the throttle to its inactive position. The usual bleed 44 forms a part of the system, whereby the sys tem may be cleared of air to allow the valve members and pistons to move to their inactive positions. In order that the crew of the train may be notified when the brakes have been applied, a signal 45 may be interposed in the pipe line to be sounded automatically with the application of the brakes.

The service and emergency valve is indicated at 46 and is so constructed that when the valve arm 47'is moved in one position, the service brakes will be applied, but when the arm is moved to another position, the emergency brakes may be applied, and to this end the valve arm 47 operates over a a plate 48, that is provided with a curved slot 49, in which moves the block 50 that may be adjusted within the slot and held in such positions of adjustment by means of the nut 51. Extending laterally from the block 50 is an arm 52 that lies in the path of travel of the arm 47 to restrict movement of the arm 47 to set the arm in either its service or emergency positions.

A chain 53 is connected with the arm 47 and has connection with the rod 54 at 55, whereby movement of the rod 54 will produce a relative movement of the arm 47.

A chain 56 also has connection with the rod 54 through the medium of theccoiled spring 57 and the upper end of the chain 56 is connected with the arm 52 to move the arm to its active position, when the chain 53 is being pulled. Thus it will be seen that' due to this construction, the arm 52 is held in its inactive position to allow the arm 47 to be manually controlled until the shoe 9 has been moved to operate the controlling mechanism.

Mounted at the lower end of the rod 54 is a piston 58 that moves in the cylinder 59 which is also in communication with the pipe 39 through the pipe 60, which is shown, as having one end thereof, positioned in a suitable opening formed in the upperend-of the cylinder 59. A spring 61 is positioned within the cylinder 59 and against which the piston 58 moves upon its movement to the lower end of the cylinder 59.

In order that the member 171113.3 be held to the limit of its upward movement or in its inactive position, an air supply pipe 62 is provided, which has communication with the lower end of the cylinder 63 in which the piston 23 moves, so that as air enters the cylinder 63, the piston 23 will be forced upwardly, raising the rod 17, it being obviousthat a suitable valve mechanism not shown, and leading to the valve member 28 would be operated manually to cut off the passage of fluid pressure to the system when the member 17 is held out of operation.

The operation of the device is as follows Assuming that the member 9 has been moved to its active position and the valve member 37 has been moved to allow air to pass into the pipes 33 and 35. It is obvious that as the piston 27 moves up wardly, the air entering the casing 28 may pass through the valve member 27 and out through the pipes 28 and 39 and into the cylinders 41 and 59. The action of the air entering the cylinder 41 forces the rod 42 upwardly, moving the throttle lever to its inactive position. Simultaneously with the operation of the throttle lever, air is entering the cylinder 59 which'moves the piston 58 to the limit of its downward movement, against the tension of the coiled spring 61 to operate the valve arm 47 and control the service or emergency brakes.

After the locomotive is stopped and it is desired to again set the apparatus for operation, the engineer operates the flexible member 32 to move the latch member 29 out of engagement with the arm 53.

The bleed 44 is now operated to release the air in the pipe line, whereupon the coiled springs operate to move the pistons to their inactive positions.

If it is desired to hold the member 17 in its inactive position, or to a position above the shoe 9, a suitable control valve not shown is operated, allowing air to enter the cylinder 63, through the pipe 62, whereby the piston 23, is moved to the limit of its upward movement, bringing with it, the rod 17.

I claim 1. In combination with the throttle lever and service brake valve of a locomotive, a controlling device including a supporting member adapted to be carried by the locomotive,a rod movable in the supporting member and carrying a laterally extending arm, a casing disposed above the arm, a valve member in the casing and adapted to control the passage of air through the easing, cylinders and pistons associated with the throttle lever and service brake valve of the locomotive, pipes for providing communication between the casing, and cylinders to move the pistons to operate the throttle 2. In a device of the character described,

a source of air supply, a valve casing co1nmunicating with the source of air supply, said valve casing having an outlet pipe supported thereby, means in communication with the outlet pipe for operating the throttle lever of the emergency brake valve of a locomotive, a valve member in the easing and adapted to control the passage of air through the outlet pipe, a vertically movable plunger associated with the valve, a laterally extending arm carried by the plunger and adapted to move to engage the valve member, to unseat the valve member, a pivoted latch member adapted to engage the arm to lock the arm against movement, and a trip member for contacting with the vertically movable plunger to operate the same.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN F. BEESELMAN.

Witnesses:

MICHAEL HAVRAN, ELMA O. MUTGHLER. 

